VIDEO: Giant octopus encounter on Vancouver Island goes viral

A video filmed off the shores of Vancouver Island has gone viral.

Shared on TikTok by Brooke Sirah, the video shows a large octopus that attached itself to a fishing net.

@brookesirah Today’s catch caught us! The octopus held on for a bit then let go and swam back down. Coolest signt i’ve seen! #pacificoctopus ♬ original sound - brookesattar

“Today’s catch caught us,” the caption reads. “The octopus held on for a bit then let go and swam back down. Coolest sight I’ve seen!”

According to the Nature Conservancy Canada (NCC), the northern giant Pacific octopus is the largest, longest-lived octopus species.

They typically live for three to five years, and average about 20 to 50 kilograms and are about five metres in length.

That being said, the largest recorded individual was 9.1 metres long and weighed 272 kilograms.

They inhabit temperate northern Pacific waters ranging from California to British Columbia, and from Alaska to Japan.

“Like other octopus species, the northern giant Pacific octopus is very smart and some have been known to open jars and complete mazes,” the NCC adds.